Woodleigh Crimping Groove Diff

06 August 2007, 04:34

Was loading some rounds for my 475. Had bullets from different lots. 2 softs, 1 solid. Notice the difference in crimping groove placement (as well as length between the solid and soft).

Diameters and weights all jive. Anyone else ever notice anything like this?

06 August 2007, 04:44

tomo577

is the solid the same weight as the softs ?

maybe the crimp groove is made to keep the same amount of nose showing ???

all in all, some kinda strange !

06 August 2007, 04:54

Steve

All three were within a grain or two of each other.

As to length differences the soft were exactly the same. Maybe the solid needs to be longer to make up for more (lighter) jacket material..?

The soft on the right is the newest.

06 August 2007, 05:20

NFMike

Copper weighs 78% of lead
Steel weighs 70% of lead
Steel weighs 89% of copper

With the thick steel jacket, the solid has to be longer to weigh the same.

06 August 2007, 05:35

Will

quote:
Originally posted by NFMike:
Copper weighs 78% of lead
Steel weighs 70% of lead
Steel weighs 89% of copper

With the thick steel jacket, the solid has to be longer to weigh the same.

Some of the old Speer AGS solids had different crimp groove heights. The guy at Speer never knew such existed!!

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Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun.
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06 August 2007, 06:38

470Evans

Strange, I checked different lots of Woodleigh 470s and the groove is in the same place on the softs. The solids are longer but the groove is in the correct spot so the solids and softs stick out of the case the same length.

Might just have one bad lot, looks like your solid would match the soft on the right for length out of the case.

06 August 2007, 06:40

N E 450 No2

Send that picture and the question to Woodleigh.

They are good about answering you back.

06 August 2007, 06:45

Steve

Sent and e-mail with picture to Woodleigh right after I started the thread. I'll let you all know what I hear.

06 August 2007, 21:23

R D Show

The crimp groove is located so the bullets are the same distance from the rifling and to meet ovl of cartridge for feeding and pressure, and accuracy. The solid bullet is longer because because the material it is made of is lighter than the soft nose. Rich

06 August 2007, 22:25

new_guy

quote:
Originally posted by R D Show:
The crimp groove is located so the bullets are the same distance from the rifling and to meet ovl of cartridge for feeding and pressure, and accuracy. The solid bullet is longer because because the material it is made of is lighter than the soft nose. Rich

I think Steve is talking about the two softs - on the right and left of the solid.

08 August 2007, 08:18

Steve

Got the following e-mail from Woodleigh:

You would be aware that this bullet is used in both the 475 3 1/4" nitro and 475 No2.
We originally put the cannelure in a position to suit the 475 No 2 which from one old chart we have was .830" from tip of bullet to case mouth.
This seated the bullet out too far for the 475 3 1/4".
Kynoch UK requested we bring the cannelure forward to suit the 3 1/4" cartridge. This change was made in 1999.
The cannelure position of production since 1999 is .620" from tip of bullet to forward edge of the groove.
The SN bullet on the left of your photo would be earlier production, probably 1995.
If you lined the FMJ and the SN on right up from the tip, the groove should be very close.
This position is a compromise between the two cartridges.
Regards,
Geoff McDonald.
WOODLEIGH BULLETS
PO Box 15, Murrabit, VIC, 3579, Australia
Ph. 61 3 5457 2226
Fax. 61 3 5457 2339
zedfield@iinet.net.au
www.woodleighbullets.com.au

08 August 2007, 08:54

Jim Manion

A compromise? So you end up with a bullet that is ideal for neither? I suppose in some twisted logic kind of way, it makes No 2 owners and 3 1/4 owners equal - where one group was satisfied and one was not, now both groups can be unsatisfied.

If I didn't know better, I would say that sounded like a solution that came from the US Congress.

08 August 2007, 13:11

Will

quote:
Originally posted by Jim Manion:
A compromise? So you end up with a bullet that is ideal for neither? I suppose in some twisted logic kind of way, it makes No 2 owners and 3 1/4 owners equal - where one group was satisfied and one was not, now both groups can be unsatisfied.

If I didn't know better, I would say that sounded like a solution that came from the US Congress.

Hey, you can always start manufacturing your own.

08 August 2007, 19:03

Jim Manion

quote:
Hey, you can always start manufacturing your own

And with your help, we can call the operation "Bill and Jim's Excellent Adventure"...

And I have a great slogan - "The Bill Stewart Bullet Line - Putting the "Bull" in Bull Elephant"!

When do we start?

08 August 2007, 22:31

Atkinson

You can really simplyfi your life by crimping in the grooves and let it go at that, you will find POI the same, velocity the same, accuracy the same, and you will seldom, if ever, shoot that gun over 100 yards, and more likely at 10 to 50 yards..unless your just a nut case (many gun folks are) in which case have fun!

08 August 2007, 23:47

N E 450 No2

In my 450 No2 I use the 350 Hornady, 450 North Fork CPS and FPS, Woodleigh 480 Soft and Solids, Hornady 500gr Soft and old style Solid, and the 500gr Swift A Frame.

I crimp them all in the crimping groove, they have different OAL's.

None of them touch the rifling, I use the same powder charge with them all [except the 350 Hornady, IMR 3031].

They all hit the same place at 100 yards.